Farmington police holding first community forum tonight

Police Chief Kevin Willey, who assumed the position from his interim post over the summer, said this is a project he has envisioned since accepting the job. He hopes to hold an informal discussion, in the lower community meeting room in Town Hall at 6:30 p.m. He wants residents to voice their concerns and learn a little more about public safety in Farmington.

“This is an event I have been looking forward to since I took over,” Willey said. “It is to me an opportunity to communicate with residents and to hear their ideas for potentially where they would like to see us improve … It allows us in a very open atmosphere to discuss those and possibly if there are some misconceptions, to correct those.”

Willey said police staff will offer some information as to how residents may become better reporting parties if they witness a crime, such as what details to make note of, and they will also touch on how to protect homes and vehicles against theft and break-ins.

Willey noted the number of burglaries since the start of the year has decreased greatly. For example, in September, the department reported while there were 42 reported burglaries in a five-month period from October 2011 to February 2012, the number dropped to 21 burglaries in the next four-and-a-half month period. Willey said he attributes the decline to good police work that has led to the indictment of several burglary suspects in the area, who he said tend to commit several burglaries over time in a concentrated area, as well as witnesses who have felt comfortable coming forward with information.

Willey said the conversation tonight will lend itself to improving his organization, as well as his department’s relationship with townspeople.

“I think we have made tremendous strides even in the last six months in that area, in our operation and what we have done to become much more transparent,” he said. “We have been receptive to suggestions, constructive criticisms … We have evaluated those and taken them seriously … I’m also looking to see if there are certain deficiencies. I want to pick the brains of the public.”